~ art,poetry,literature,observation

Monthly Archives: January 2015

I thought it would happen later than sooner…but yes the first transgression on my part has been ‘committed’ without premeditation and I now have another blown weekend.
There can be no doubt that everyone without exception who walks through the doors of my studio to practise and express through movement needs to ‘feed’ off the Artistic Muse for awhile. They come for the purpose of replenishing their spirits and improving their physique. Achieving this becomes individualised…each one does it differently. There is no excuse for a teacher to be less than her artistic best. Pain doesn’t count, exhaustion doesn’t count, emotional stress doesn’t even enter the equation and much less personal upheaval. I was not brilliant yesterday and struggled to finish the afternoon with as much decorum as I could but I know that somewhere I transgressed and was left communicatively stranded. Another lesson for me to learn from students who mean so incredibly much.

“When I say it’s you I like, I’m talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see or hear or touch. That deep part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive. Love that conquers hate, peace that rises triumphant over war, and justice that proves more powerful than greed.” ― Fred Roger

“Growing apart doesn’t change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I’m glad for that.” ― Ally Condie

“Silence make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying, but the never needing to say that counts.” ― Margaret Lee Runbeck

I made the mistake in thinking explanations were not relevant in my daily communication with students…especially the senior ones but I see now and understand with a measure of regret that I placed too much virtuous understanding in them all. Nothing excuses physical pain and mental anguish in this profession. One must always….and I mean always, be the person the students expect to find on any given day.

“There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.”
– Douglas Adams

The summer shows no signs of abating or even remotely giving up its hold on the weather, nature, creepy crawlies and people in general. This has been one of the most difficult summers and I am reminded of one of the Moody Blues songs which includes the lyrics ‘the endless summer is dead’ and the song goes on with a measure of regret. There is no such hope in sight. It goes on with women showing cleavage, nubile girls in shorts and men who forget to put on shirts before leaving home..well who needs a shirt when you got tatoos sporting words. Keeps one busy while waiting to pay for the ever diminishing contents of the supermarket basket.

“Life is something that happens when you can’t get to sleep.”
– Fran Leibowitz

Sleep is indeed elusive for us. I have reached the limit of my endurance in listening to EWTN radio and all those Catholic apologetics who talk too fast…and their ability to quote whole passages from the Good Book is astounding. Patrick Madrid and Patrick Coffin…those two people and their guests and then the phone in participants….tests the very fabric of ones being. How can two men have so many children? It is sad to listen to the voice of that rare spiritual being Fr Benedict Groschel who passed away last year. This man was everything a sinner could hope for in a priest. He was so educated, so unbelievably knowledgeable -especially about Jewish history, doctrine and everything else. Listening to him explain matters moral and doctrinal was something that fed the soul. The women announcers on EWTN …..worse than the syrupy voices of those on Radio Pulpit. Why is it that management of Radio stations believe the public needs to hear these ingratiating people who are so unbelievably positive and cheerful. If I had a dollar for everytime they use the term ‘holy mother church’ I would be in ‘the pound seats’. There was a time when one could listen to World Radio and the BBC during the night hours. Netherlands and Britain always had the most fabulous programming. Voice of America always included their African segment which featured heavily the music from Uganda and Nigeria. I don’t take well to African music…fills me with terrible apprehension but nothing can top the apprehension I felt after seeing the film ‘Last King of Scotland’. Its been a week since I saw it and I am still disturbed…deeply disturbed because I live on this troubled continent of Africa.In order to survive our lives we go about our daily affairs focusing on that which is important to us and that is how it should be but oftentimes we do not notice how fast everything around us is changing. Reality comes with a shock and one does not know which way to go. History has shown that it is almost always too late.

“Art is making something out of nothing and selling it.”
– Frank Zappa

Art has always been my first love but I knew from early on that it would remain a passion which brings consolation and inspiration but never financial gain. In spite of this I pursued and improved and fine tuned my abilities and worked on a method of teaching art that would bring gratification to a student from the very first lesson. I watch closely the trends in the country and the achievements of others. I am of the opinion that true art….not expression of the individual art…is disappearing. Classicism is almost no longer evident in any exhibition and symbolism is very much the first rule of audience engagement and participation.